I was excited to hear that the AFI was going to be updating their list because I love these kind of subjective arguments over pop culture. I was looking forward to seeing how many of the greatest films of MY generation had moved up, or onto, the list from a decade ago. Now, granted, there is no right or wrong response to a question like “What are the greatest American films of all time?” But if you are going to make “a new list for a new generation”, shouldn’t you at least ask someone under the age of forty what films in fact made a difference to them.

The first ten picks showed signs of hope, and yet frustrating reminders, that Old Hollywood standards were still applied to this new list. I was glad to see that TOY STORY (1995, #99), BLADE RUNNER (1982, #97) and DO THE RIGHT THING (1989, #96) all finally made the list, but I was floored (Literally, I jumped off the couch and onto the floor) when both PULP FICTION (1994, #94) and GOODFELLAS (1990, #92) showed up again on the bottom ten of the list.

A new list for a new generation? You’ve got to be kidding me. The Westerns UNFORGIVEN (1992, #68) and THE SEARCHERS (1956, #12) moved out of the bottom ten from the previous list and moved up a combined 114 spots while PULP FICTION and GOODFELLAS only rose a combined 3 spots. So you’re telling me that in the past ten years the Western has become the premier genre for today’s movie audience? I know the fact that both THE SEARCHERS and UNFORGIVEN were highly underrated last time played a part, but if you are going to reflect over the past ten years time, PULP FICTION and GOODFELLAS should have also skyrocketed up the chart.

The two highest rated films on the new list that did not make the list last time were THE GENERAL (1927, #18) and INTOLERANCE (1916, #49), two films made over eight decades ago. Again, these are two films that should have been on the list before, but to say that these films have played a bigger role in the lives of the millions of filmgoers who grew up in the eighties and beyond, compared to say THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994, #72), is just plain ridiculous.

Now one of the things that SHAWSHANK has taught us in the years since it was released (pun intended) is that a movie today doesn’t have to make a hundred-million dollars at the box-office to make it into the hearts of millions of people. The age of the VCR paved the way, and now DVD’s and the Internet has made it so more and more people can discover films long after they have lit up the silver screens at our local megaplexes. Maybe older audiences will stubble onto some of these newer films and realize that they still do “make them like they used to”, sometimes even better.

The other thing that SHAWSHANK taught me was that hope was the best of all things. I hope that my generation finds this list and goes out and discovers the genius of CITIZEN KANE (1941, #1), the madness of SUNSET BLVD (1950, #16), the romance of CASABLANCA (1942, #3), the giddy joy of DUCK SOUP (1933, #60), and the epic visions in THE SEARCHERS (1956, #12) and INTOLERANCE (1916, #49).

But I also hope to see more movies that made a difference to me, and my generation, make a bigger splash in the list ten years from now, and not just get buried in the bottom half again.

Oh, and maybe then STAR WARS (1977, #13) will finally crack the top ten.

I can always hope.